Billy Davies insists he's the boss as he returns for second spell at Nottingham Forest

NEW manager Billy Davies says he has no concerns about interference from the hierarchy at Nottingham Forest – because he has it in black and white that he is in charge at the Reds.

The Scotsman revealed that he has it written into his contract that he has sole control of team affairs.

There was speculation that both of his predecessors in the role, Sean O'Driscoll and Alex McLeish, had left the City Ground at least partly because of interference from above.

But Davies insists he has no such fears, because the terms and conditions of his employment were laid out in crystal clear fashion within his job offer.

"That was the offer, it did not have to be requested or demanded," said Davies. "I never asked about that or had the conversation about it.

"Fawaz (Al Hasawi) made it absolutely clear he wanted me to manage the football club, to manage Forest and try to get the club into the Premier League. I did not need clarification, not a word. It was there in black and white."

Davies admits that clarity is important, as he returns to the club for a second spell in charge.

"A manager just wants to manage the football team, not necessarily manage the club, just the football team," he said.

"That's what he is employed to do, to manage the quality of the squad and what you need within it.

"If you get that, you don't mind what happens in the future."

Davies believes the club's owner and chairman will know full well that he has hired a strong minded individual as his new manager.

"I think Fawaz has done his homework, on the past at Nottingham Forest, Fawaz has not brought me back here without doing his homework," he said.

"He's a cute business man, he does his due diligence. He's had enough people to interview over the last period of time, he knows what he's looking for.

"The conversations have been very positive in what we're trying to do. We're certainly on the same page. There's no guarantees in life, but we'll work hard and we will try to do what we can."

Davies says he always wanted to return to the City Ground, where he twice led the club into the Championship play-offs before being sacked 18 months ago.

"I've always said that I would love to come back," he said. "People laughed and mocked and said it was a PR stunt when I said that, but it was always my intention.

"That was how I felt.

"Having agreed with Nigel (Doughty) over a target and an ambition, I just felt it would be nice to pick up where we had left off.

"When I was asked if I wanted to come back to Forest I said: 'yes I want to finish off the job'.

"People scoffed but it was genuine and I am genuinely delighted to be back. It's a very difficult challenge, because they've won three in 14.

"But I am delighted to be here, to do the best I can to finish that job off that we started before."

21 comments

by buddybonny
. "Greggftdwood
pmsl........"
glad i can be of service my fellow tricky tree, we all lovea good laugh now dont we m8 !!!
now on a more serious positive note,
"wemberly, wemberly, and were all p***ed up and were going to wemberly

buddybonny i think it the derby scum who dish out the red arrows or maybee it just a bad habbitt us forest fans have seeing anything red must mean its good as our super red team with all its history,
now this is a good read but i dont belive mr billy davies is going to wave his contract about so the nep can read it and then do a piece on it what is in that contract is between billy, fawaz and there soliciters or legal representives, ad would be confidential and a breach of contract imo but im sure billy would of got somthing like this in writting makes sense to me

The not so new owners will soon realise they will be brought to task re SOD and FC..
However sometimes they can't win .
Had Dexter been allowed to leave on a free then they would be damned and now they are damned for signing him up on a long contract.
Foresight not hindsight is what is required.
If and I say if we require a goalie Cammie Bell from Killie is out of contract .
If wont don't need an experience keeper then fine.
Well done Karl from the academy

Davies has my unconditional support. Having him back feels a bit like getting a second go with an old flame who is far better looking than ones more recent conquests!
I think that we all however have to manage our expectations a little. I'll setlle for us becoming hard to beat again. I'd take some dogged away performances and some sort of unbeaten run (even if it consisted of mostly draws) before the season ends. I think that 19 points from the next 15 games would represent success for Davies and his management team. That would give us 60 points which would mean 10 more than we managed last season so we would have made some progress despite all the uncertainity that this season has brought.

What an opportunity. You manage a club and although there were good and bad points you take them from struggling to premiership possibilities in no time. You then get to come back to the same club which you obviously care about, and are given the chance to do it all again.
Even though there is a ? over funding you can make a couple of loan additions to a squad that you think is on paper, better than your last one.
No wonder he said it was a no brainer, i'd love the chance.
We all need to do our bit and get behind him now because as he said ' look at the badge and see what it mean to the supporters '